Song · Roger Miller
“King of the Road” by Roger Miller
Released 1988
“King of the Road” by Roger Miller appears on 5 radio countdowns from 4 stations between 2001 and 2026. It was first released in 1988. Its best result is #33 on the WXPN 885 Ultimate Road Trip Songs (2010). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #1,540 indie & aaa song of all time.
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Roger Miller cut "King of the Road" in November 1964, a sweet little hymn to owning nothing at all. He wrote it after driving past a barn with a sign about trailers painted on its side, and out of that came a tramp with empty pockets and no complaints, sizing up his own lot with a wink and a sardonic grin.
It was his fifth single for Smash Records, and it refused to stay in the country lane. It topped the country chart and the easy listening surveys, went all the way to the top in Britain and Norway, and peaked at four on the Hot 100 to boot. The Grammys handed Miller 5 awards for it in 1966. It still sounds like freedom on a shoestring.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 1902 | WFPK | WFPK 2001 Greatest Songs of All Time | 2000 |
| 2010 | 33 | WXPN | WXPN 885 Ultimate Road Trip Songs (2010) | 885 |
| 2023 | 616 | WYEP | WYEP Countdown to Fall 2023 | 1229 |
| 2026 | 542 | WYEP | WYEP Greatest Songs of All Time | 1180 |
| 2026 | 178 | KXT | KXT 917 Song Countdown | 917 |
Also listed as: King Of The Road.
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